Argentina's Most Expensive Transfer: Almada Joins River Plate for €20 Million
River Plate completed the most expensive transfer in the history of the Argentine football league, signing midfielder Thiago Almada from Atlético Madrid on Saturday for approximately €20 million ($23.1 million).
The Spanish club confirmed in a statement on Saturday that it had reached an agreement with River Plate for the transfer of Almada, a member of Argentina's 2022 World Cup-winning squad.
According to Spanish and Argentine media, the transfer fee is around €20 million, breaking River Plate's own previous record of €13.8 million paid for Colombian midfielder Kevin Castaño from Krasnodar.
Almada, 25, will sign a contract with River Plate in the coming days that will run until the end of 2029. He aims to regain playing time after a season with Atlético where he struggled to establish himself, scoring four goals and providing two assists in 40 appearances. Almada had moved to "Rojiblancos" from French club Lyon in the summer of 2025.